November in Door County

Door County in Nov.

Some people ask us what we do in Door County during this time of year.  So while this weekend is not typical, I think it's worth sharing.

   On the Friday after Thanksgiving Egg Harbor has this very cute, very low key Christmas lighting in Harbor Park.  The event includes free hot chocolate, warm cookies, hot cider, caroling and a visit with Santa.  The tree gets lit at 5:00 and the town square is pretty much emptied out by 5:45.
   After a quick pizza at home we headed over to Hands On Art Studio.  It's an artsy kind of place that has adult night on Fridays.  They encourage you to bring in a bottle of wine, listen to a good acoustic guitar player/singer and paint or create a piece of art.  They fire your art item and you can pick in up a few days later.
   On Saturday we made cut out cookies and watched Home Alone

before meeting Jon and Mary Jo for lunch at the very picturesque White Gull Inn.
   They tried a new fund raiser in Egg Harbor this year.  It was a raffle of sorts.  They sold squares on a very small piece of property.  They walked around a calf with paper antlers strapped onto his head to make him look like a reindeer.  If the calf poops on your square, you win $500!
   Kathleen and I had our photo taken with Santa and headed back to the cottage in time for Mass which was followed by a wonderful leftover turkey dinner served with dressing and potatoes that Jon and Mary Jo brought over.

   Jon, Mary Jo, Cathy and I went to a Letterman Christmas Concert at the Door County Auditorium and nobody enjoyed it more than Cathy.
   On Sunday we had a wonderful breakfast and watched "The Holiday"
   By the way, it has snowed 5-6 inches in Fish Creek and we actually had our driveway plowed out.
   Thanks for letting me share our weekend with you.

Christmas 2013

                                                      Christmas 2013
                     Merry Christmas and Greetings from the Blaney Family

2013 has come and almost gone and once again we are grateful for the blessings with which we have been bestowed.  Here is an update on our family.

Erin at Wrigley

After two years of working as a bilingual family support worker working with mothers and infants for Family Services, Erin decided to go back to school to begin work on her Master's Degree.  So, at the end of August, with the help of Mary Jo, Jon and Kathleen, we packed her up and moved her to Chicago.  She began classes in September at the downtown campus of Loyola University of Chicago, just two block from the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower).  After unpacking, we toured Navy Pier and we were able to make a pilgrimage to Wrigley to take in a Cubs game. Erin is enjoying her time in the city and seems to have adapted to not having a car for the first time in quite a while.

Kathleen continues to work as a Nurse Case Manager for the AIDS Resource Center of Wisconsin.  She

  Min, Kathleen, Ethan, Tim & Anthony

recently completed two trips, one to the west coast, the other to the east coast.  She traveled to California in October to spend some time with her uncle, aunt and cousins and to see her friend star in a play.  Tim, Min, Anthony and Ethan could not have been more gracious and welcoming.  They toured UC-Merced, much of San Francisco and spent a day at Yosemite.  The east coast trip was a mixture of business and pleasure.  She attended a health conference in Boston and was able to extend her trip so that she could visit friends in Providence, RI and New York City.

Bridget & Jeff

The family highlight of the summer was attending Bridget's wedding in Minocqua.  Bridget and her husband Jeff had met at Camp Kawaga so it seemed fitting to have their rehearsal dinner, reception and dinner there.  Many of us stayed at the camp and had a great time. The wedding was beautiful.

In 2013 we continued to better appreciate the simple pleasures that life offers.  They include time at the cottage, visits from family and friends, a family friend's wedding in Milwaukee and an Early Family gathering in Door County.

May God bless you during this holiday season.
Ken, Cathy, Kathleen and Erin

ADDITIONAL PHOTOS

Navy Pier (Chicago)

Anthony, Kathleen and Ethan (San Francisco)

Joan of Arc (Marquette)